Camera-box



(No Model.)

W.. M. ELROD.

CAMERA BOX.

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ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. ELROD, OF MARSHALL, MISSOURI.

CAMERA-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,048, dated January 23, 1883.

Application led June 26, 1882.

-To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. ELRoD, of Marshall, in the county of Saline and State `of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved -Camera-Box, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved camera-box for successively Vtaking a number of pictures without exposing the plates to the light except when taking the picture.

The invention consists in a camera-box constructed with a hinged -section containing a mirror or reflector for adjusting the camera without exposing the plates to the action of thelight. These plates are contained in a sliding box below the hinged section, and are raised successively for exposure by means of a plunger contained in a tube attached to and projecting from the bottom ofthe camera-box. This plate-holding box is inserted in the camera-box and can be moved forward, as may be necessary, by means of a gaged handle-rod projecting from the rear or front end of the camera-box. The plate-holding box contains a ground-glass plate, which is raised when the camera is to be adjusted, all as will be fully described and set forth hereinafter.

Referenceis to be had to the accompanying` drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding` parts in bot-h the figures.

Figure lis a longitudinal sectional elevation of my improved camera-box on the line a' at', Fig. 2. l Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the saine on the line y y, Fig. l.

The box A is attached to the rear end ot' an ordinary camera,and is fastened to the same in some suitable manner. This box is provided with a hinged section, A', at its upper rear corner, which section A' can swing upward and backward, and has its joints rabbeted, so that they will tit very close and will not admit any light. A mirror or reflector, B, is held inclined at an angle of forty-five degrees from the rear to the front, and is attached to two side plates, C, which are adapted to slide in the section A', which plates C are connected at their rear ends by a transverse bar, C', in which a handle-rod, D, is fastened, which rod (No model.)

projects from the rear of the section A', and is provided in its outer end with a handle-knob, D'. A spiral spring, E, is coiled around the rod D, between the cross-bar G' and the rear of the section A', which spring presses the mirror-holding frame 'C D toward the front ot' the section A'. The top of the section A' is provided with an aperture, F, directly above the mirror B, which aperture can be closed by a cover, F'.

A box, G, for holding a series of dry plates, H, has vertical strips G' attached to the inner surfaces ot' the sides, whereby vertical grooves are formed, into which the edges of the plates H are passed. The front plate, H', is a groundglass plate, and is not prepared with chemicals, as the other plates are. The box G is provided in the bottom with a longitudinal slot adapted to receive a strip, I, secured on the bottom of the box A, below the hinged section A', by means of a screw, b,which strip I is provided with side tongues fitting in grooves in the edges of theslot. The top J of theboxGis held fixed by means of a screw, a, and the box G is adapted to slide along under the top or cover, which is provided with side tongues tting in grooves in thcsides of the box Gr, as shown in Fig. 2. The bottom of the box A is provided with a transverse slot, J2, and over this slot J2 the strip I is cut out or slotted to permit the upward movement of a plunger, K, contained in a vertical tube, L, secured on and projecting downward from the bottom of the box A, which tube is provided with a base, L', secured on a tripod or other suitable standard, M. The lower end of the plunger K is provided witha handle-projection, N, projecting through a longitudinal slot, N', ot' the tube L. Two bars, O, adapted to slide in grooves in the bottom of the box A, are attached to the' bottom of the box Gr, and the outer ends ot' these bars, projecting from the rear end of the box A, are attached to a plate, P, from which the tube Q passes through an aperture in the back of'the box-section A to the back ot' the box G, against which it rests. A rod, q, contained within the tube Q, passeslongitudinally through the same and has its end screwed in the rear part ot' the box G, and is provided at its opposite end with a handle-knob, Q'. It'

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this rod q is removed, the box G can easily be placed in the boxA, and then the rod q can be screwed into the back of the box G, and the tube Q can be braced between the rear wall of the box G and the head Q' ofthe rod q, and will thus be firmly held in place. This tube Q is provided with a series of gage notches or grooves, R, which are separated the same distance as the plates in the box G. A screwspindle, W, passes loosely through the lower part ofthe plate P into a nut, W', in the back ofthe box A, and is provided with a collar, w, which rests against the inner surface of the plate P. This screw is to be used for the finer adjustment of the plate P and the glass-plateholding box. The box A is provided with a side opening, S, through which the plate-box G can be inserted, which boxis provided with a handle-knob, T.

The operation is as follows: The strip I is passed into the slot in the bottom ofthe platebox G, and this box is placed in the box A, below the hinged section A', and is held in place by the screw b, passed through the bottom of the box Ainto the strip I, and by the screw a., passed into the cover J and the bars O, and the handle Q is attached to the box G. The ground-glass plate H will then rest over the slot J", and by raising the plunger K this plate H' can be pushed upward in front of the mirror-holding frame C D, the ends of the sides C of which are pressed against this plate by .the spring E. By looking through the aperture F the picture will be seen in the mirror B, and the camera can be adjusted as may be necessary to obtain the required focus, Src. The plunger K is then lowered and the plate H' passes back into its compartment in the box G, which box is then pushed forward the distance of one notch It in the tube Q, so that the first dry plate, H, will be above the slot J2. The plunger K is again raised, and this first dry plate will be raised in frontof the mirrorframe G D and can be exposed to the action of the light, and isthen lowered into the box G. The box G is again pushed forward, the next plate H is raised and exposed, and so on successivel y until all the plates have been exposed, upon which the box G is removed to the darkroom and another plate-box G is placed into the box A. It' all the pictures are to be of the same object, but one adjustment of the camera will be required 5 but if different pictures are to be taken, the plate H' must be raised and the camera adjusted before another picture is taken.

By means ofthe above-described device pictures can be taken and the plates transported and exposed without any injury whatever to these plates, as the light is perfectly excluded from the plates until they are exposed.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pa tent l. The combination,with a camerabox, of a hinged section containing a reiiector or mirror, and a sliding box containing dry plates, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a camera-box, of a reiiector, a sliding plate-holding box, and a plunger for raising the plates for exposure, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a camera-box, of a reflector, a sliding plate'holding box, a plunger for raising the plates for exposure, and a gaged handle-rod for adjusting the position of the plate-box, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

ei. The combination, with the camera-box A, of the hinged section A', the slidingmirrorholding frame G D, the mirror B, held therein, a plate-holding box, G, below the hinged section, and devices for raising the plates, substantially as herein shown and described,and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the camera-box A, of the hinged section A', the sliding mirrorholding frame C D, the mirror B, held therein, the handle-rod D, the spring E, a plateholding box, G, below the hinged section, and devices for raising the plates, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with the notched tube Q and the box G, of the rod q, passing longitudinally through the tube and screwed into the rear of box, as shown and described.

7. The combination, with the camera-box A, of the sliding plate-holding box G, the sliding bars O, the plate P, and the gaged handle Qq, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination, with the camera-box A, of the sliding plate-holding box G, the sliding plate P, the handle-tube Q, provided with the notches It, and the rod q, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination, with the camera-box A, of the sliding plate-holding box G, theplate P, the handle-tube Q, and the screw-spindle W, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

l0. The combination, with the box-bottom, having slot J, of the strip I, having a slot, and the plunger K, working through said slot, as and for the purpose set forth.

ll. The combination, with the camera-box A, of the sliding plate-holding box G, the tube L on the bottom ot' the box A, and the plunger K in the tube L, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

l2. Thecombination, with the camera-box A, of the sliding plate-holding box G, the tube L, secured on the bottom of the box A, and provided with a longitudinalslot, N', the plunger K, and the handle-stud N, projecting from the IOO IIO

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lower end of the plunger through the slot N', era', and for raising the dry plates for expossubstantially as herein shown and described, ure, substantially as herein shown and de- 1o and for the purpose set forth. scribed, and for the purpose set forth.

13. Thecombinatiomwith the camera-boxA, of e mirrorforadjustingit,asliding plate-hold- WILLIAM M' ELROD' ing box containing dry plates7 and a ground- Witnesses: glass plate, and of a plunger for raising the R. H. FRANKLIN, ground-glass plete for adjustment of the cam- F. G. KEER. 

